Adaptable garment accessory



April 30, 1968 B. K. MARTHINSSON 3,

ADAPTABLE GARMENT ACCESSORY Filed April 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BARBARA K. MARTHINSSON ATTORNEYS April 30, 1968 Filed April 11, 1966 B. K. MARTHINSSON ADAPTABLE GARMENT ACCESSORY 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR BARBARA K. MARTHINSSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,380,075 ADAPTABLE GARMENT ACCESSORY Barbara K. Marthinsson, Box 416, Aspen, Colo. 81611, now by change of name Barbara K. McLoughlin Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 541,557 14 Claims. (Cl. 2-126) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tubular interchangeable accessory such as a sleeve or collar for attachment to a basic garment. Interchangability is provided by permitting circumferential adjustment of the element and by providing an in-place attachment arrangement permitting attachment of the accessory to a garment regardless of the position of the accessory relative to the garment.

This invention relates to wearing apparel, and more particularly it relates to an adaptable tubular garment accessory such as a sleeve or collar which is so constructed that a given accessory unit may be readily attached to garments of almost any style in which the size or shape of the openings in the garment onto which the sleeve and collar are to be attached may vary over a wide range.

Removable sleeves and collars are, of course, well known per se. However, previous removable sleeves and collars have been of a type entirely different from the adaptable accessory of the present invention.

One type of previously known construction relates to a convertible garment. Here the sleeves and/or the collar may be placed on the garment or removed therefrom to provide a sleeveless, collarless garment. However, the sleeves and collars designed for a convertible garment would be entirely unsuitable as an adaptable accessory having general applicability to all garments. For example, sleeves and collars for a convertible garment in no way suggest the structure which is required in an adaptable accessory to change the size of the accessory or to neatly attach the adaptable accessory to the garment. To the contrary, since sleeves and collars for convertible garments are designed for a specific garment they may simply be cut to size of the opening and attached by any simplified means such as buttons, zippers, etc.

In contrast to the prior art the present invention relates to a sleeve or other tubular accessory which can be readily attached to an opening in basic garments of many different styles and wherein the size or shape of the opening may vary over a wide range. Further, unlike the sleeves or collars on the convertible garments, the present invention is intended to simulate a secondary item of apparel, such as a blouse or sweater, being worn beneath the basic garment to which the accessory is attached. For example, the accessories may be attached to a basic garment such as a sleeveless jumper, shift dress, cocktail dress, one piece slack-suit, ski wear, etc. to give the appearance that a blouse or sweater is being worn beneath the basic garment.

In designing an adaptable accessory, several problems must be solved. First, a means must be provided to allow variation in the diameter of the accesory so that it will fit various sizes of openings over a wide range while neither puckering nor causing the garment to pucker. Secondly, a means must be provided to neatly attach the accessory to the garment regardless of the size of the opening. Further, the attachment should not be visible or otherwise rnar the natural appearance that the 'basic garment is being worn with an unconnected secondary item of apparel such as a blouse or sweater.

Briefly, according to the present invention there is provided a tubular garment accessory such as a sleeve or collar. For convenience the invention will be described generally with reference to a sleeve. However it is to be understood that the features of the invention apply as well to a collar or any other tubular accessory which is to be connected to a basic garment at any opening therein. The sleeve comprises two portions, an outer portion and an insert portion, connected at a junction. This sleeve further includes a means for varying its size and means for attaching the sleeve to a garment at the arm opening.

The outer portion is primarily ornamental and may be of any desired style, shape or size. However, the insert portion beyond the junction is shaped to be placed flush against the inside of the basic garment. The adjusting means allows variation of the diameter of the insert portion and the junction area. The adjustment need not necessarily aifect the size of the outer portion except, of course, that for proper appearance it is often desirable to extend the adjusting means at least partially into the outer portion (and sometimes all the way to the outer end of the outer portion). The adjustment feature is necessary so that the sleeve will fit onto garments of different styles and sizes without creating unattractive puckering in either the sleeve outer portion, the sleeve insert portion or the basic garment itself. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the adjustment is provided by constructing the sleeve with one or more tucks projecting into the interior of the sleeve, each tuck closed into a loop and held flat against the inside of the sleeve by a plurality of chain threads which may be easily removed to release a portion of the loop and thereby enlarge the sleeve. It is to be understood that the size variations provided by the tuck and chain stitch arrangement are, of course, unlimited. More than one tuck may be provided and each tuck can have any number of chain stitches. However, in the preferred embodiment, it has been found most practical and economical to cover the usual span of sleeve sizes by providing three basic accessories (for example, small, medium, and large) each having a tuck with three chain stitches therein for further variations of the three basic accessories.

The attachment means must hold the insert portion flush against the interior of the garment adjacent the opening therein. Even in a non-adjustable, removable sleeve it is ditficult to attach the sleeve to the garment without obtaining some pu-ckering. The puckering is due to the ditficulty in properly aligning the attachment means on the sleeve with the attachment means in the garment. Thus, in the sleeve of the present invention which may be adjusted to many different sizes, and which is intended to .be attached to garments of various sizes, the problem of avoiding puckering is much greater. In the present invention, however, this problem has been overcome by providing an attachment means which allows the insert portion to first be placed in any desired position with respect to the garment and then attached to the garment in that precise position. Specifically, after the sleeve is in the desired position within the garment, the sleeve is pressed against the garment so that it will adhere to the inside of the garment in that exact position. For example,

a strip of tape having a pressure sensitive substance formed thereof may be attached to the insert portion of the sleeve as the unit is sold in commerce. The user then simply places the insert portion into position in the arm opening of the garment and attaches the tape to the interior of the garment.

Within the basic requirement that the attachment means must allow an in place attachment by pressing the accessory and garment together, many known attaching means may be employed. The term adhere, and adherent bond as used hereinafter refers to such a bond. For example, rather than a pressure sensitive tape a thermal sensitive adhering means or a chemical adhesion material, such as glue, could be applied to the insert (or the garment) to hold the parts together. Also non-adhesive in place adhering means such as for example, Velcro can also be used. Where a non-adhesive adherent material is used it will generally be necessary to place a strip of said material on both the accessory and the garment which strips will adhere to each other. The word strip refers generally to the adherent material and need not necessarily be in the shape of a strip although preferably it will encircle the insert portion.

The accessory can be chemically treated so it will adhere to the basic garment and/or the chemical or other adherent can be placed in a container and sold with the accessory to be applied to either the basic garment or the accessory by the use-r.

The strip should be spaced inwardly from'the arm opening in the garment for two reasons; first, to place the strip at a position on the shoulder where strain on the shoulder is at a minimum, and secondly to provide the intended appearance that the sleeve is part of another item of apparel such as a blouse or sweater separate from the basic garment.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a tubular garment accessory which may be readily attached to an opening in most any style "basic garment within a Wide range of shapes and sizes of the garment opening.

It is another object of this invention to provide an accessory which may be attached to most any style basic garment opening and giving an appearance of being part of a separate article of apparel such as 'a sweater or blouse being worn beneth the basic garment.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tubular garment accessory to be attached to an opening in most any garment within a wide variation in the size of the opening without causing puckering of any part of the accessory or the garment.

It is also an object to supply a variety of sleeves and accessories to be able to give one basic garment many faces and functional changes.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURES 1 and 1A illustrate the applictaion of an adaptable garment accessory of the present invention to two difierent basic garments which vary in size and style.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating a sleeve constructed according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2A is a partial cross-sectional view of the sleeve shown in FIGURE 2 but showing three chain stitches in the tuck instead of one.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the sleeve of FIGURE 2 attached to a garment.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a collar constructed according to the present invention.

FIGURE 5 illustrates the collar of FIGURE 4 attached to a garment.

Referring now to the figures, FIGURES 1 and 1A show two separate garments of diiferent styles and sizes, each having attached thereto identical sleeve and collar units constructed according to the present invention. In FIG- URE l the garment may be, for example, a one piece opening 17 which openings are larger than the openings 11 and :12 respectively. Sleeves 20 are shown attached at the arm openings 16 and the collar 30 is shown attached at the neck opening 17. The sleeve units 20 shown in FIGURE 1A are identical to those of FIGURE 1 except that some of the chain stitches have been removed so that the sleeves would fit neatly in the larger openings 16 and 17. Because of the adaptability of the sleeves 20 they may be attached to either garment and in both instances the sleeve will give the appearance of being a separate article of apparel such as a blouse or sweater; and in neither application will there be puckering of either the sleeves or the garment. Similarly, the collar 30 in FIGURE 1A is identical to that shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 2 shows a sleeve 20 constructed in accordance with the present-invention. The sleeve comprises an outer portion 21 and an insert portion 22 which portions come together at a junction, roughly indicated by the numeral 25. The outer portion 21 may be of any construction to obtain the desired appearance and style. It is shown as being cut off at edge 26. However, the sleeve may also be a long sleeve and it may fit tightly on the arm or it may be loose fitting.

In order to adapt the sleeve to fit arm openings of different sizes there is provided an adjusting means 23 for adjusting the diameter of the sleeve. The adjusting means comprises a tuck held into a loop by a plurality of removable chain stitches. FIGURE 2 shows one such tuck 27 held together by one chain stitch 28. However, as shown in FIGURE 2A the tuck 27 may have any number of chain stitches 28. FIGURE 2A shows three chain stitches and this may allow an upward variation of the circumference of the sleeve by about 2" (or more if desired). The chain stitch is such that it may be removed and a portion of the tuck released simply by pulling the stitch out by hand. Of course the greater number of stitching rows, the greater will be the range within which the diameter of the sleeve may be adjusted. It may be assumed, for purposes of illustration, that the sleeve 20 shown in FIGURE 2A, having three chain stitches therein, represents the condition of the sleeve when it is applied to the garment 10 of FIGURE 1 in which the openings are smaller. FIGURE 2 may then be assumed to represent the sleeve as shown in the dress of FIGURE 1A after two of the chain stitches 28 have been removed, so that only one row of stitching 28 remains on the tuck 27. In this condition the sleeve unit will be large enough to fit onto the arm openings in the garment 15 which are larger than those in the garment 10.

The tucks must extend completely through the insert portion, 22, for it is the insert portion that must fit flush against the inside of the garment. Depending on the desired appearance it may continue down through a portion or all of the outer portion. To provide a neat appearance the tuck may taper 01f as it continues down the outer portion. Although the circumferential position of the tuck may vary, iii a preferred embodiment, it will be on the bottom adjacent the underarm.

The insert portion 22 is intended to be neatly accommodated within a garment without puckering either the insert portion or the garment. Having obtained the necessary diameter by pulling the proper number of chain threads, the insert portion is then attached to the inside of the garment by an attaching means 24.

As discussed above, the types of adherent means are unlimited. However, for purposes of illustration, the strip 24 will be assumed to be a strip comprising a presattachment of the insert portion against the inside of the garment. In some instances, non-adhesive adherents wouldbe used. Here, two strips are used, one on the accessory and the second aflixed to the inside of the basic garment to provide a surface to which the strip on the insert portion of the accessory may be attached. In the preferred embodiment, the attaching means will be such that it will hold the parts together firmly but yet, will allow them to separate without damaging the garment or the accessory. Of course, this does not preclude a permanent bond if such is desired.

FIGURE 3 shows the relative position of the sleeve in the garment 15. It can be seen that the arm opening 16 lies roughly at the junction area 25. It is also apparent in FIGURE 3 that the insert portion 22 extends a substantial distance beyond the arm opening 16 and that the adherent means 24 is also located a substantial distance from the arm opening 16. Although the exact position of the adherent means 24 on the insert portion 22 is not critical, it is preferable to place the tape sufficiently far back from the opening 16 so that the sleeve will give the appearance of being loose at the opening 16 to simulate a separate article of apparel such as a sweater or blouse beneath the garment 15. By way of illustration, in a preferred embodiment the insert portion may extend 3 inches inside the opening 16 and the tape may be positioned approximately 1 /2 inches inside the opening 16. It can also be seen in FIGURE 3 that the insert portion 22 will lie flat against the inside of the garment 15 without puckering either the sleeve or the garment. This result is obtained first, because the insert portion is cut to the shape of the inside of the garment, that is, the shape of the body, and second, because the size of the insert portion 22 has been properly adjusted to fit neatly, within the garment by pulling the right number of chain threads 28.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the collar member 30. The collar shown in FIGURE 4 is the same as that shown in FIGURES 1 and 1A, except that in FIGURES l and 1A the upper edge has been turned down to provide a desired appearance. The collar shown in FIG- URE 4 contains all of the features of the invention discussed above with reference to the sleeve 20, but as applied to a collar. A neck portion 31 extends upwardly from a junction to an edge 36. From the junction 35 an annular insert portion 32 extends outwardly to be attached to the garment. As in the case of sleeve 20, it may be assumed that the collar 30 shown in FIG- URE 1 has three chain stitches holding the tuck while the collar 30 shown in FIGURE 1A is similar to that in FIGURE 4 wherein two chain stitches have been removed and only one remains. In FIGURE 4 there is shown an adjusting means 33 comprising the one remaining chain stitch 38 holding the tuck 37. Depending on the desired style, the tuck may be located anywhere on the collar, such as in the back or on the side. An adherent means 34, which may be, for example, a strip of pressure sensitive tape, extends around the annular insert portion 32.

FIGURE 5 illustrates the collar member 30 attached to the garment 15. The neck line of the garment extends roughly around the junction area 35. The insert portion 22 is held flat against the inside of the garment 15 by tape 34 in such a manner that neither the insert nor the garment is puckered.

The invention has been described in considerable detail with particular reference to two preferred embodiments thereof. It should be apparent, however, that these specific embodiments are given by way of example and that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereina-bove and limited only by the appended claims. For example, any number of tucks, chain stitches or strips of pressure sensitive tape may be used. Further, any other simplified adhesion type attaching means may be used. The sleeve or collar may be of any material such as knit, fabric, etc.

Having now particularly described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States and what I claim is:

1. An adaptable accessory such as a sleeve, collar or the like for attachment to a basic garment at an opening in the basic garment, wherein the accessory comprises a tubular outer portion and a tubular insert portion, the two portions coming together at a junction to form a continuous tubular accessory running from one of said portions to the other, said outer portion adapted to encircle a part of the body of the garment wearer and to extend outwardly beyond the said opening in the garment, said insert portion adapted to fit inside of the garment adjacent the said opening, adjusting means for varying the circumference of the said tubular insert portion, and attaching means for attaching the said insert portion to the inside of the basic garment, said attaching means constructed so that the tubular insert portion can be attached to the interior of the garment when the outer portion extends outwardly beyond the opening and regardless of the circumferential position of the insert portion relative to the garment opening.

2. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said adjusting means comprises at least one folded tuck formed in the accessory and extending from the inner end of insert portion in the direction of the outer portion at least as far as'the said junction, said tuck being held in the folded position by at least one row of removable chain stitching.

3. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said tuck extends to the outer end of the outer portion and is tapered from the said junction to the said outer end.

4. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 1 wherein the attachment means comprises at least one strip of adherent material afiixed to said insert portion.

5. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 4 wherein the attachment means comprises a strip of tape having a pressure substance formed thereon.

6. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 5 wherein the pressure sensitive tape is permanently affixed to the insert portion and adapted to adhere to the inside of the garment.

7. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said strip forms a part of a Velcro fastening means.

8. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said accessory is a sleeve, and said outer portion is an arm encircling sleeve portion, and the said opening in the garment is an arm opening.

9. An adaptable garment accesory as claimed in claim 8 wherein the adjusting means comprises a folded tuck formed in the underarm of the sleeve.

10. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said outer portion is a neck encircling portion, and said opening is a neck opening.

11. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said attachment means comprises an adherent chemical applied directly to said insert portion.

12. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 11 wherein said accessory is a sleeve, said outer portion is an arm encircling sleeve portion, and the said opening in the garment is an arm opening.

13. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 11 wherein the adjusting means comprises a folded tuck formed in the underarm of the sleeve.

14. An adaptable garment accessory as claimed in claim 11 wherein the said outer portion is a neck encircling portion, and said opening is a neck opening.

(References on following page) 7 '8 References Cited 2,712,650 7/1955 Harrington 2--119 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,720,655 10/1955 Simon 61; a1. 2-115 10/1899 Lehman 2-116 v FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1933 LOCkWOOd 2-115 5 444,012 3/1936 Great Britain. 6/ 1938 ROSCHbIOOm 2-103 970,698 9/1964 Great Britain. 9/1938 Ladue 2-125 10/1942 Harrison 2-123 X RICHARD J. SCANLAN, 111., Primary Examiner. 

